Apparatus and process for producing gasoline, olefins and aromatics from oxygenates

Abstract

Apparatuses and processes for converting an oxygenate feedstock, such as methanol and dimethyl ether, in a fluidized bed containing a catalyst to hydrocarbons, such as gasoline boiling components, olefins and aromatics are provided herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for converting an oxygenate feedstock to a C5+ gasoline product comprising:
 a. heating the oxygenate feedstock; 
 b. feeding the oxygenate feedstock to a fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert the oxygenate feedstock to a hydrocarbon mixture comprising C5+ gasoline product in a reactor effluent, wherein the fluidized bed reactor comprises: 
 i. a catalyst; and 
 ii. at least two packing layers, which separate the fluidized bed reactor into stages; 
 c. cooling the fluidized bed reactor either internally or externally; 
 d. transferring the reactor effluent to a set of two stage cyclones in fluid connection with the fluidized bed reactor; 
 e. separating reactor vapor from the catalyst in the two stage cyclones and removing catalyst fines to a fines collection unit; 
 f. transferring the reactor effluent to a heat exchanger in fluid connection with the fines collection unit and cooling the reactor effluent and condensing a portion of the reactor effluent against incoming oxygenate feed to form a mixed phase effluent; 
 g. transferring the mixed phase effluent to a separator in fluid connection with the heat exchanger and separating the mixed phase effluent into an aqueous liquid phase, a hydrocarbon gas phase and a hydrocarbon liquid phase; 
 h. transferring the hydrocarbon gas phase and the hydrocarbon liquid phase to a stabilizer/de-butanizer in fluid connection with the separator, wherein a portion C4− light gas comprising C2-C4 olefins and LPG and the C5+ gasoline product are separated; 
 i. recycling a portion of the C4− light gas; 
 j. transferring spent catalyst comprising coke to an air stream in fluid connection with the fluidized bed reactor and a regenerator; 
 k. feeding the air stream containing spent catalyst to the regenerator and burning the coke off of the catalyst to form regenerated catalyst; and 
 l. transferring the regenerated catalyst from the regenerator to the fluidized bed reactor, wherein the regenerator is in fluid connection with the fluidized bed reactor; 
 m. recycling the C4− light gas to a second reactor and converting C2-C4 olefins to a second hydrocarbon mixture comprising C5+ gasoline product in a second reactor effluent; 
 n. transferring the second reactor effluent to a second set of two stage cyclones in fluid connection with the second reactor; 
 o. separating reactor vapor from the catalyst in the two stage cyclones and removing catalyst fines to a fines collection unit; 
 p. transferring the second reactor effluent to a second cooler in fluid connection with the second fines collection unit and cooling the second reactor effluent and condensing a portion of the second reactor effluent to form a second mixed phase effluent; 
 q. transferring the second mixed phase effluent to a second separator in fluid connection with the second cooler and separating the second mixed phase effluent into a second aqueous liquid phase, a second hydrocarbon gas phase and a second hydrocarbon liquid phase; 
 r. mixing the second hydrocarbon liquid phase with the C5+ gasoline product from the stabilizer to form a combined mixture and transferring the second hydrocarbon gas phase and the combined mixture to a de-ethanizer, wherein a portion C2− light gas is separated from C3+ product, wherein the de-ethanizer is in fluid connection with the stabilizer and the second separator; and 
 s. transferring the C3+ product to a de-butanizer in fluid connection with the de-ethanizer, wherein the LPG and the C5+ gasoline product are separated. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the mixed phase effluent before transferring the mixed phase effluent to the separator. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising recycling the C4− light gas in a recycle stream to the fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert C2-C4 olefins to the C5+ gasoline product, wherein the recycle stream is in fluid connection with the stabilizer and the fluidized bed reactor. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a pressure of from about 25 psig to about 400 psig. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a temperature of from about 500° F. to about 900° F. 
     
     
       6. A process for converting an oxygenate feedstock to a C5+ gasoline product comprising:
 a. heating the oxygenate feedstock; 
 b. feeding the oxygenate feedstock to a fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert the oxygenate feedstock to a hydrocarbon mixture comprising C5+ gasoline product in a reactor effluent, wherein the fluid bed reactor comprises: 
 i. a catalyst; and 
 ii. at least two packing layers, which separates the fluidized bed reactor into stages; 
 c. cooling the fluidized bed reactor either internally or externally; 
 d. transferring the reactor effluent to a set of two stage cyclones in fluid connection with the fluidized bed reactor; 
 e. separating reactor vapor from the catalyst in the two stage cyclones; 
 f. transferring the reactor effluent to a fines collection unit in fluid connection with the two stage cyclones and removing catalyst fines; 
 g. transferring the reactor effluent to a heat exchanger in fluid connection with the fines collection unit and cooling the reactor effluent and condensing a portion of the reactor effluent against incoming oxygenate feed to form a mixed phase effluent; 
 h. transferring the mixed phase effluent to a separator in fluid connection with the heat exchanger and separating the mixed phase effluent into an aqueous liquid phase, a hydrocarbon gas phase and a hydrocarbon liquid phase; 
 i. transferring the hydrocarbon gas phase and the hydrocarbon liquid phase to a dividing wall column in fluid connection with the separator, wherein seven streams for a light gas, C2, propylene, propane, butenes, butanes and the C5+ gasoline product are divided; 
 j. combining the streams for C2, propylene, and butenes to form a recycle stream and, wherein the recycle streams is in fluid connection with the dividing wall column and the fluidized bed reactor; 
 k. feeding the recycle stream to the fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert C2-C4 olefins to the C5+ gasoline product; and 
 l. combining the streams for propane and butanes to form LPG. 
 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 6 , wherein the hydrocarbon gas phase and the hydrocarbon liquid phase are transferred by a pump to the dividing wall column. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 6 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a pressure of from about 25 psig to about 400 psig. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 6 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a temperature of from about 500° F. to about 900° F. 
     
     
       10. A process for converting an oxygenate feedstock to a C5+ gasoline product comprising:
 a. heating the oxygenate feedstock; 
 b. feeding the oxygenate feedstock to a fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert the oxygenate feedstock to a hydrocarbon mixture comprising C5+ gasoline product in a reactor effluent, wherein the fluid bed reactor comprises: 
 i. a catalyst; and 
 ii. at least one packing layer, which separates the fluidized bed reactor into stages; 
 c. cooling the fluidized bed reactor either internally or externally; 
 d. transferring the reactor effluent to a set of two stage cyclones in fluid connection with the fluidized bed reactor; 
 e. separating reactor vapor from the catalyst in the two stage cyclones; 
 f. transferring the reactor effluent to a fines collection unit in fluid connection with the two stage cyclones and removing catalyst fines; 
 g. transferring the reactor effluent to a heat exchanger in fluid connection with the fines collection unit and cooling the reactor effluent and condensing a portion of the reactor effluent against incoming oxygenate feed to form a mixed phase effluent; 
 h. transferring the mixed phase effluent to a separator in fluid connection with the heat exchanger and separating the mixed phase effluent into an aqueous liquid phase, a hydrocarbon gas phase and a hydrocarbon liquid phase; 
 i. transferring the hydrocarbon gas phase and the hydrocarbon liquid phase to a stabilizer/de-butanizer in fluid connection with the separator, wherein a portion C4− light gas comprising C2-C4 olefins and LPG and the C5+ gasoline product are separated; 
 j. combining the streams for C2, propylene, and butenes to form a recycle stream and; 
 k. feeding the recycle stream to the fluidized bed reactor under conditions to convert C2-C4 olefins to the C5+ gasoline product; and 
 l. combining the streams for propane and butanes to form LPG. 
 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a pressure of from about 25 psig to about 400 psig. 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is operated at a temperature of from about 500° F. to about 900° F.